Battery handling device



Feb. 23, 1932.

H. W. LORMOR BATTERY HANDLING DEVICE Filed Sept. 9, 1930 Patented Feb.23, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HENRY W. LORMOR, OF GLEVEEANDHEIGHTS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR T-O' WILLARD STORAGE" BATTERY COMPANY, OFCLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO BATTERY HANDLING DEVICE.

Application filed September 9, 1930. Serial No. 480,673.

This invention relates generally to article handling devices and moreparticularly to a storage battery lifting device.

The boxes of storage batteries according to the present day form ofconstruction are not provided with lifting handles, but are usuallyprovided only with finger holes or recesses. Such finger holes orrecesses afford a suitable means for handling batteries where onlylifting or carrying is involved, but when batteries are to be loweredinto or removed from battery compartments, crates or vehicle cradles,such finger holes or recesses are inadequate.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide animproved form of article handling device.

Another object of the invention is to pro- 'Vide a device of thecharacter referred to which is simple in construction, efficient inoperation and inexpensive to manufacture.

VViththe objects above indicated and other objects explained in View,the invention consists in the construction and combination of elementshereinafter described and claimed.

Referring to the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevational view of ahandling device embodying the present invention.

Fig; 2 is a top plan view of the device.

Fig. 3 is an end elevational view of the dev1ce.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectionalview of one of the gripping jaws.

5 is a view taken on line 55 of F ig. 4.

In the drawings to which I shall now refer in detail, I have shown astorage battery handling or lifting device as an embodiment of myinvention. The storage battery represents a battery of conventional formhaving a battery box or casing 11 in which are arranged the cells orunits 12. Adjacent the ends of the box the usual negative terminal 13and positive terminal 14 project above the top surface of the cellssubstantially on a cliagonal line of the box.

The handling device is shown in engagement with these terminals andcomprises a substantially horizontally extending handle in constructionand each comprises a pair of i cooperative jaws 18 and 19. These jawsare hingedly connected together intermediate their ends so that whentheir upper ends are wedge-d apart by the tapered head 20 of theactuating member 21, the jaws 18 and 19 will be moved toward each otherinto clamping engagement with their respective terminals. The clamps 16and 17 are connected to the handle 15 by means of the actuating members21 so that when a lifting force is applied to y,

the handle the jaws of the clamps are moved into clamping engagementwith the terminals of the battery to which the device has been applied.

The jaw 18 has a laterally extending flange 22 adjacent its upper endwhich extends inwardly and is provided with a transverse elongatedopening 23 through which the actuating member 21 extends. This actuatingmember 21 consists of a strip of metal looped at 24 to encircle thehandle 15 the free ends extending through an elongated opening 25 in thecam 20 and being spread apart at 26 to secure the lower end of theoperating member 21 to the cam.

Only the jaw 19 moves about the axis of the pivot 26 and consequentlythe cam 20 is provided with only one tapered surface 27 which engageswith an inwardly and upwardly tapering surface 28 provided upon theinside ofthe 19.

The loop 24 of the actuating member 21 is rigidly held in engagementwith the handle 15 by means of a bolt 29 and a wing nut 30 disposed uponthe opposite side of the act-u ating member 21. There is also provided asuitable spacer or washer 31 between the wing nut and the adjacent sideof the actuating member 21. Directly beneath the bolt 29 and slidableupon the actuating member 21 is a washer 32, the upper surface of whichabuts the spacer 31 whilebetween the under-surface of the washer and theupper-surface of the lateral extension 22 there is disposed a coilspring 33 which normally surrounds the actuating member 21. It will benoted therefore, that the function of this spring 33 is to normallymaintain the cam 21 in its upinost position wherein the jaws 1S and 19are maintained in gripping condition.

The clamp 17 which is preferably for engagement with the positiveterminal of the battery is secured to one end of the handle 15 by meansof a pin 34, while the clamp 16 is slidably mounted upon the oppositeend of the handle 15 and guided longitudinally in its movement by meansof a screw 35 whose end is disposed within a longitudinally extendinggroove 36 preferably provided in the upper surface of the handle 15.This clamp 16 which is preferably adapted to engage the negativeterminal of the battery is adjusted by means of loosening the wing nutand sliding the looped portion 2% along the handle 15, the purpose beingto provide relative adjustment between the clamp 16 and the clamp 17 sothat the spacing of the clamps will correspond with the spacing of theterminals of the battery to which the handling device is to be applied.

In the operation of the device a lifting force applied to the handle 15causes the jaws 18 and 19 to be moved into engagement with the terminals13 and 1a and from the construction and the arrangement of the parts itwill be readily seen that the greater the lifting force may he, thegreater will. be the clamping engagement of the jaws with the terminals.Therefore, after the jaws have been moved into engagement with theterminals by the force which is applied in lifting a battery, it isnecessary to release the jaws before the handling device can be removedfrom the battery. For releasing the jaws 18 and 19 I provide a releasingmember 37 preferably of steel which is spaced from the handle 15 aconvenient distance so that it may be readily actuated by the fingers ofthe hand which grasps the handle of tae device. This releasing membermay be constructed and arranged in any convenient manner, but asillustrated in the drawings it comprises a sub stantially horizontallyextending rod supported in transverse openings 38 and 39 at the upperportions of the jaws 19 of the clamp 16 and 17 respectively. One end ofthe releasing member is rigidly mounted within a bushing 40 secured inthe opening 39 of the clamp 17 to suitably insulate the rod from theclamp, while the opposite end of the rod is slidably disposed within theopening 38 of the clamp 16. hen adjustments are made to vary the spacingbetween the clamps 18 and 1". the rod of the releasing member 3? slidesthrough the opening 38 in the jaw 19 so that this member will haveoperative connection with the jaws of each clamp for all desiredadjustments of the device.

lVhile I have described the preferred embodiment of the invention it isto be understood that I am not to be limited thereto in asmuch aschanges and modifications ma be resorted to without departing from thespirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, a pair of clamps havingcooperating jaws, one of said jaws being rigid and the other beingpivotally connected thereto, and a handle member having portionsengaging said pivoted jaws to move the latter toward said rigid jaws.

2. In a device of the character described, a pair of clamps havingcooperating jaws, one of said jaws being rigid and the other beingpivotally connected, a handle member having portions engaging saidpivoted jaws to more the latter toward said rigid jaws, and meansnormally urging said jaws toward each other into work engaging position.

3. In a device of the character described, a pair of clamps havingcooperating jaws, one of said jaws being rigid and the other beingpivotally connected thereto, means having portions engaging said pivotedjaws to move the latter toward said rigid aws, means normally urgingsaid jaws toward each other into work engaging position, and manuallyoperated means for moving said jaws away from each other.

4. In a device of the character described, a pair of clamps havingcooperating jaws, one of said jaws being rigid and the other beingpivotally connected thereto, means having portions engaging saidpivot-ed jaws to move the latter toward said rigid jaws, and meansnormally maintaining said portions in engagement with said pivoted jawsto thereby urge said jaws into work engaging position.

5. In a device of the character described, a. pair of clamps havingcooperating jaws, one of said jaws being rigid and the other beingpivotally connected thereto, actuating members slidably mounted on saidrigid aws and having portions engageable with said pivoted jaws wherebymovement of said members in one direction urges said jaws into workengaging position, and means connecting said actuating members.

6. In a device of the character described, a pair of clamps havingcooperating jaws, one of said jaws being rigid and the other beingpivotally connected thereto. actuating members slidably mounted on saidrigid jaws and having portions engageable with said pivoted jaws wherebymovement of said members in one direction urges said jaws into workengaging position, and resilient means normally maintaining said jaws inwork engaging position.

7. In a device of the character described.

a pair of clamps having cooperating jaws,

one of said aws being rigid and the other member and normally urgingsaid jaw membeing pivotally connected thereto, actuating bers into workengaging position, and means members slidably mounted on said rigid foropening said aws.

jaws and having portions engageable with In testimony whereof, Ihereunto atfix my said pivoted jaws whereby movement of said signature.

members in one direction urges said jaws into work engaging position,and manually operated means for moving said pivoted jaws to workreleasing position.

8. In a device of the character described, a pair of clamps havingcooperating jaws, one of said jaws being rigid and the other beingpivotally connected thereto, actuating members slidably mounted on saidrigid jaws and having portions engageable with said pivoted jaws wherebymovement of said members in one direction urges said jaws into workengaging position, resilient means normally maintaining said jaws inwork engaging position, and manually operated means for moving saidpivoted jaws to work releasing position.

9. In a device of the character described, a pair of clamps havingcooperating jaws, one of said jaws being rigid and the other beingpivotally connected thereto, actuating members slidably mounted on saidrigid jaws and having portions engageable with said pivoted jaws wherebymovement of said members in one direction urges said jaws into workengaging position, springs encircling said members and normallymaintaining said jaws in work engaging position, manually operated meansfor moving said pivoted jaws to work releasing position and insulatedfrom one of said jaws, and an insulating member connecting saidactuating members.

10. In a device of the character described, a pair of clamps havingcooperating jaws, one of said jaws being rigid and the other beingpivotally connected thereto, actuating members slidably mounted on saidrigid jaws and having portions engageable with said piv oted jawswhereby movement of said memhere in one direction urges said jaws intowork engaging position, springs encircling said members and normallymaintaining said jaws in work engaging position, manually operated meansfor moving said pivoted jaws to work releasing position and insulatedfrom one oi": said jaws, and an insulating member connecting saidactuating members, one of said actuating members being adjustablymounted thereon.

11. A clamping device comprising a pair of jaw members, one of which isrigid and the other pivotally connected thereto, actuating membercarried by said rigid jaw member and having a portion engageable withsaid pivoted jaw member whereby movement of said actuating member in onedirection causes said pivoted jaw member to move toward said rigid jawmember into work engaging position, a compression coil spring with allof its coils encircling said actuating HENRY W. LORMOR.

